Axle-box for adjustable locomotive-axles



P. LEFEBVRE. AXLE BOX FOR ADJUSTABLE LOCOMOTIVE AXLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1920- 1,354, 1 1 2, Patented Sept. 28, 1920s 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. F194. Fig.5. 1

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P. LEFEBVRE.

AXLE BOX FOR ADJUSTABLE LOCOMOTIVE AXLES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1920. 1 ,354,1 12. Patented Sept. 28, 19200 2 SHEETS SHEET lllllllll/ mam,

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III/4 WW JWEA/TOE PAUL LEFEBVHE TOENEJ ,ample an axle-box for a driving locomotive UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL LEFEBVRE, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, ASSIGNOB. 0F ONE-HALF T0 SOCIETE ANONYME LES ATELIERS METALLURGIQUES, 0F BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed May 8, 1920. Serial No. 379,940.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL LnFnBvRE, a subject of the Belgian King, and resident of Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Boxes for Adjustable Locomotive-Axles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved axle-box for adjustable locomotive axles, which are either only adjustable laterally or laterally and radially, the improved axle-box being provided with a back motion operated bv gravity.

Heretofore if a'driving axle or a supporting axle of a locomotive needed adjustment for facilitating the running through a curve, the displaced axle was generally moved back to its normal position by means of inclined faces arranged between the top of the axle-box and the pressure-rod of the spring. However practical experiments proved that the bringing back of the parts by means of inclined faces was defective owing to the shocks produced by the same, the coefficient of friction being higher at the departure than during the movement.

The bringing back of the parts by gravity through the agency of linksrhaving a progressive action and recognized the best, was applied only to supporting axles of either ordinary or Bissel bogies. This well-known system was generally applied to small frames, which are independent from the main frame and having at least two axleboxes. s

r This invention has for its object to provide means whereby the parts are brought back by gravity through the agency of links applied directly to the axle-box.

The improved axle-box may be used either with a coupled driving axle of a locomotive, or any supporting axle'thereof adapted to be adjusted laterally.

Furthermore if suitably arranged, the improved axle-box may be used with an axle which is adjustable laterally and radially as will be seen from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show by way of exaxle which is only adjustable laterally;

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the axlebox.

2 is a front or rear elevation of same; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of same; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate an axle-box for laterally and radially adjustable axles. b Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the axlegig. 5 is a front or rear elevation of same, an

Fig. 6 is a plan view and horizontal section of same.

The body A of the axle-box is provided on its front and rear faces with pivot-pins B, on which are pivotally arranged links C, also provided with pivot-pins D engaged in openings, provided in the rods F. Said rods F are adapted to slide vertically on the guide G of the axle-box.

The links C are adapted to swing laterally on the pivot-pins B and D. The two rods F are connected together by the rocking lever H, to the center of which is fixed the sup porting spring J It will be seen that in this example the links C are held on the pivot-pins B by means of rings X screwed onto said pivotpins.

The device operates as follows: On a straight track way, under the influence of the flexure of the spring, the guides G of the box are allowed to slide vertically on the outer faces of the rods F, but in a curve, if

the axle causes the box to be moved laterally with relation to the frame, said box is allowed to slide laterally on the inner faces of the rods F, retained transversely by said box-guides G.

The lateral movement of the axle-box causes the frame to be raised. In fact, the pivot-pin B made integral with the box, remains at the same height with relation to the track-rail, while the pivot-pin D and the lower portions of the links C will be raised and rotated on the pivot-pins B. The raising of the pivot-pins D causes the rods F, rocking lever H, supporting spring J and the portion of the frame attached to said spring to be raised likewise. As soon as the strain which caused the axle and the box to be moved laterally ceases, the frame tends to come back to its initial height owing to its weight and thus brings the axle back by gravity.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, said axle box besides the vertical and transverse movements already described, may be inclined in at one end with two pivot-pins alined on a common horizontal line in order to produce astronger back motion of the axle. If one of the guides carries a wedge, the rod F will slide on said wedge instead of sliding directly on the guide.

Without modifying the device for bringing the axle back, it is only necessary to make the axle-box in two parts pivotally connected together on a vertical axis to permit ofthe radial adjustment of the box besides of the lateral adj ustment thereof.

. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show an example of such construction 7 A is the inner body of the box which carries the lower and upper bearing brass and is provided at its top with avertical pivotpin K. The lower bearing brass has also a vertical pivot-pin L, arranged in alinement with the pivot-pin K.

A? is the outer body of the box, said body A being-made in the shape of a rectangular frame, the upper and lower cross bars of which are pivoted on said vertical pivot-pins K and L of the inner body.

The two vertical walls of the outer body A carry links, C pivotally connected to bars F which are adapted to slide vertically on guides G and G In the modified construction the pivot-.

pin B is not. made integral with the axlebox and the linkC is arranged between thedouble walls of the box. The rod or bar F is provided with a pivot-pin D As the rod F is completely housed within the guides G and G the box will be caused to slide directly on the guides and not necessarily on the rod F .In radial axle-boxes having plane guides,

' heretofore constructed, the vertical walls constituting the outer inclined guiding facestermed in this. description the outer body A of the boxno horizontal rotation is permitted with relation to the inner vertical wallstermed in this description the inner body A of the axle-boxwhereby two different designs of boxes were necessary for .thejsame axle. v By' pivotally connecting thesetwo walls' or these two' bodies A A ,sothat they will be permitted to form a large range of angles between 7 them, an interchangeable radial box will be provided, that is, the same box may be mounted on the left or on the right of the vehicle (see Fig. 6).

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show clearly that the axle-box thus constructed fulfils advanta geously the function of a radial box.

In fact it is well known that in order to be perfectly adjusted in a curve of the track way, a radial axle must be permitted to move as if it were guided by a rod pivotally connected to a point 0 on the axis of the vehicle, the location of said point 0 depending onthe distance between the rigid axles and the distance between the radial axle and said rigid axles.

It is also well known that radial axleboxes having plane faces, and which are caused to slide on guides having also plane faces, arranged perpendicularly with rela tion to the point 0 (see Fig. 6), act to guide the axle approximately in the same way as radial axle-boxes, the sliding faces of which together with thefaces of the guides thereof are curved on an arc with the point 0 as a center.

It is furthermore known that the provision of plane faces is, easier and that the axle boxes provided with such plane faces are capable of being deflected more easily than radial axle-boxes having curved or arched faces.

Thus the axle-box illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is in the best-condition for fulfilling the function of an axle-box to be used with a radially adjustable axle.

If the space above the axle-box is available, the axle-box may be easily weighted with a rocking lever connecting the two rods F said rocking lever extending toward the center 0. 7 The supporting spring may be arranged on the top of the rocking lever and any direction may be given to said spring, that is: the spring may for instance be arranged to 'forman angle with'the rocking lever so that it may be easily connected to a compensating rocking lever connected in turn to the spring of the adj acent, axle.

I However if a radial axle is to be arranged below the firebox of a locomotive, the free space above theaxle-box will be very small and in this case the rockinglever will be preferably arranged below the axle-box. And as the supporting wheels are generally made of smalldiameter the spring cannot be attached directly below the rocking lever proposed to use a second'rocking lever H extending through the first rocking lever H (Figs. 4, 6), both levers having a common central pivotal connection N and forming a given angle between them, in order to facilitate their connection, for instance, with another rocking lever H or a supporting spring connecting the radial axle to the adjacent axle. This arrangement of rocking IF, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case it is levers may also be provided above the axlebox according to the local conditions. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the axle-box thus constructed is of very compact form and its application requires but little space in hei ht.

I-Iaving now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an axle-box for adjustable axles of locomotives, the combination with the body of the axle-box, laterally projecting pivotpins on said body and guides for the body, of links pivotally arranged on said pivot pins, laterally projecting pins on the lower ends of said links, rods pivotally arranged on the pins of said links and adapted to slide vertically on said guides, a rocking lever connecting the ends of said rods, and means for holding the rods against lateral movement.

2. In an axle-box for adjustable axles of locomotives, the combination of an inner body, the lower and upper bearing members for the axle carried by said inner body, an outer body made in the shape of a rectangular frame, plane faces on said outer body, guides having equally plane faces on which the plane faces of the outer body are adapted to slide, links pivotally connected'to said outer body, rods pivotally connected to said links, and a rocking lever connecting the ends of said rods.

3. In an axle-box for adjustable axles of locomotives, the combination of an inner body, the lower and upper bearing members for the axle carried by said inner body, an outer body made in the shape of a substantially rectangular frame, plane faces on said outer body, guides having equally plane faces on which the plane faces of the outer body are adapted to slide, links pivotally connected to said outer body, rods pivotally connected to said links, a rocking lever connecting the ends of said rods, a second rocking lever forming a given angle in the horizontal plane with the first named rocking lever, and a common central pivotal connection for both rocking levers, substantially as set forth.

4. In an axle-box for adjustable axles, the combination with a body of an axle-box, guides for the body, links pivotally mounted on the body at one end, rods pivotally mount 7 ed on the other end of the links and adapted to slide vertically on said guides, and a rocking lever connecting the ends of said rods.

5. In an axle-box for adjustable axles, the combination with a body of an axle-box, guides for the body. links pivotally mounted on the body at one end, rods pivotally mounted on the other end of the links and adapted to slide vertically on said guides, and a rocking lever. connecting the ends of said rods, and means for holding the rods against lateral movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL LEFEBVRE.

Witnesses:

G. DENROUOK, J os. BALRUE. 

